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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “"Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée"” is a common card of the Memes FR pack, number 1866 of the collection, and the 753rd best-known meme of its 3503 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “"Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée"” meme mean?
The line is a pun: Caesar the conqueror and Pompey his defeated rival echo “pompé”, French slang for exhausted. It mocks a grand ambition that ends in a sorry fall. Online, people quote it to tease someone who aimed very high and collapsed, who tried to do too much, or whose exit lacks dignity. The humor comes from invoking classical history for an almost comic downfall. It is also shared as a classic example of the political one-liners preserved in French history.
Where does the “"Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée"” meme come from?
On 16 February 1899, President Félix Faure died at the Élysée Palace in Paris, aged 58. The official cause was a cerebral congestion, what modern medicine would call a stroke. Rumors about the circumstances spread quickly through the press and Parisian salons, fed partly by accounts from his mistress of the time, which historians consider unreliable. The quip about Caesar and Pompey is attributed to Georges Clemenceau, but the attribution rests on tradition more than on a dated document. Repeated in many anecdote collections, it became one of the best-known witticisms of the Third Republic.
- 16 February 1899President Félix Faure dies at the Élysée Palace, aged 58.
- Late February 1899Rumors about the circumstances of his death spread across Paris, along with the quip credited to Clemenceau.
How to use the “"Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée"” meme
- Quote it when an overpaid executive crashes after a grandiose announcement.
- Comment on a football team that dreamed of the title and went out in round one.
- Drop the pun into a chat about French history to get a smile.
- Caption a failed ambitious project with “He wanted to be Caesar...”.
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The “"Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée"” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 1866 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Common |
| Collection | Memes FR pack |
| Fame | 50/100 · #753 of 3503 |
| Recycle value | 5 MemeCoins (15 in Shiny) |
| Suggested by | @tholfrick |
How to get the “"Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée"” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; "Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée" comes out of the Memes FR pack as a common card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 5 MemeCoins.
The reprint of the “"Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée"” card
The “"Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée"” card was reprinted as Rare (No. 5,198). A reprint is the same meme printed again, with a number of its own and a higher rarity than its first printing, which was common. Its face reads “Reprinted card · Higher rarity”.
Every printing is dealt in the packs of the Memes FR pack, each at its own rarity: the higher it is, the rarer the card is to pull. Copies of the first printing already pulled stay as they are, and any printing counts toward completing a set.
MyMemeCards reprints a meme when it deserves more than the rarity of its first printing, such as a classic that became iconic after it came out: the reprint gives it a place among the most sought-after cards without taking anything from the players who already had it.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “"Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée"”
More cards of the Memes FR pack
Frequently asked questions
Who said “Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée”?
The line is attributed to Georges Clemenceau about Félix Faure. The attribution is traditional, with no dated document proving it.
When did Félix Faure die?
He died on 16 February 1899 at the Élysée Palace in Paris, aged 58. The official cause was a cerebral congestion.
What is the pun?
Pompey, Caesar’s rival, sounds like the slang “pompé”, meaning worn out. The line mocks ambition followed by a fall.
Is the popular story of his death proven?
The rumored circumstances are disputed, and some historians blame the mythomania of the president’s mistress. Only the date, the place and the official cause are established.
How do I get the "Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée" meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “"Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée"” is a common card of the Memes FR pack. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the "Il voulait être César, il ne fut que Pompée" card?
It is a Common card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: Wikipédia — Félix Faure · checked on October 18, 2026.
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